Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-04-07
THE YOSEMITE IN WINTER.
A Plucky Englishman's Remarkable Journey
from Aariposa to Ell Captain.

not less frequent than those of tour
| lists to the Yosemite valley in midwinter,
says the San Francisco Chronicle. This
article is prefaced by the above remark
because of the importance it gives to
what will follow. It is not every day in
| the year that one meets with such dar
! ing and plucky globe-trotter as William
| Peter, of London, who is now in this city.
| Mr.. Peter is the gentleman who recently
made ot-journey to the Yosemite. He
| is the orly sight-seer who ever ventured
/ into that great scenic arena through such
depth of snow as has covered it during
the past few weeks, and is one of the very
/ few who have seen ice on Mirror lake.
Mr.. Peters story Is worth relating, and it
will be given as he told it to the reporter
who saw him yesterday on his return
| from Monterey, whittier he repaired i'm
mediately after returning from his extra
ordinary trip TO TIE valley.
II started from San Francisco on Mon
day, the 21st of February" said he.
''Having been told that I could not get
into the valley by the Big Tree route, /
went by the MERGED river trail, reaching
Mariposa on Tuesday night. ] was equip
| ped with a small Photographic apparatus
with which [ intended taking views of the
been told that would have to encounter
snow and cold weather, and I wore on my
head large sealskin cap. At Mariposa l
found that my apparatus, a fine one, cost
ing about $50, had been damaged by the
stage journey, and l was therefore COM
PEELED to leave 1t. [ was just as much
pleased, however, as it turned out, that /
did not incumber myself with it.
sit is biggishs walk from Mariposa in
to the valley, about forty-fve miles, they
tell me, bat that would be nothing were it
not such rough going. Hites cove is
twenty two miles from Mariposa on the
way in. | made the distance in seven
hours and twenty minutes. 1t was a tidy
journey, but could have gone thirty fiat
miles just as easy. Half way to Hite's l
got into the snow. It covered the trail
and [ was not sure of the way, but was
directed by man I met little way out,
and SO I brought up at Hites all right,
but feeling very hungry, as I had eaten
nothing since starting cut.
At Hite's there is gold mine, and
hotel where the miners board and lodge,
but there is no accommodation there for
travellers. However, I made out very well
taking what l could get. After a good,
long rest [ started out at 2:2O O'Clock the
afternoon following the night of my ar
rival.
To get to the Cascades, the next impor-
tant stopping point on the way, you must
first go up long steep mountain. 1t be-
gan to rain after left the cove, and it
rained very hard, SO that in a short time l
was frightfully wet. On reaching the
upper heights the rain turned to snow,
which continued until I had passed down
L Il
this time the snow that [ had seen was
but small obstacle IN the way of my
progress The trail leads through some
very rough and lonely places, and as I
did not meet soul on the whole days
journey, you may fancy how cheerful the
situation became. Down into deep and
wild gully made my way and soon came
to a branch on the MERGED river.
"For little time the sky was clear, but
l was not long in getting into more rain,
which, after my previous wettlng, was not
at all comfortable, you know. Getting at
last down into good road, [ moved my
legs as fast as could and at the end #
a seven mile walk [ stopped at nightfall
at little ranch by the roadside. 1t was
showing hard when got to the ranch. I
stopped there that night and was we'll
provided for. In the morning it was very
cold, SO I waited until the sun was well up
and struck out again for the valley. l
crossed the river and was soon in snow
over my knees. There were however,
some places where there had only been a
light fall SO that the eight miles to the
Cascades were made before o'clock III the
evening. There was no living being to be
found there, but in a rude doorless cabin l
managed to pass the night after fashion
lighting fire and keeping myself a.
warm as possible under the circumstances
although it was cold outside. For food
I had little timed meat, brought along
to use on pinch. I was pleased to find
an old pair of snowshoes in the cabin for
although I had never walked with such
foot trappings before, fancied [ should
get along better than wading through the
snow l have no idea how deep the snow
was in many places over which L passed
with those snowshoes, but it must have
been several feet
"After good deal of clumsy expert
menting as to the best means of locomo
ton with the shoes, I found myself at
Leidig's in the Yosemite. There [ re-
NAMED for five days, and made several
short trips to different points of interest
in the valley, going about altogether on
SuOWSnOeS Il0 SIiOW COFOlo OfOIy uIlIS,
rocks, fences, and in many places low
trees and brush.
''El Captain under a snow effect, is the
most magnificent bit of scenery. I ever
saw, and [ have seen the Ju ngfrau and
the Wetterhorn where l have tramped
about a good deal. OF course, it is an
entirely different sort of scenery from
the Alps, but there is more interest at
tached to the Yosemite. Bridal Veil fall
was, I imagine, not seen at its best, as
there was no melting snow and conse-
quently not very large flow Of water.
It will be grand sight when the snow
melt=. I did not dare to venture up any
of the great heights without a guide, as
I could readily see there was great danger
in making an ascent. AS it was, ex-
perienced some trouble from falling
masses of ice, and once or twice narrow
ly escaped with my life. When the ice
masses slip from the summit of a gre
precipice and go crushing down a di
lance of 1900 to 1000 feet it is enough
to make man hold his breath at the
Ill he Of tor h